Known image forming apparatuses, e.g. printers, include a support portion for supporting a sheet thereon, e.g. a multi-purpose tray (hereinafter referred to as a MP tray), and a feed roller for feeding the sheet supported on the support portion. A known image forming apparatus is provided with a feed roller, which is pivotable between a position where the feed roller is separated from a sheet on a MP tray and a position where the feed roller contacts the sheet on the MP tray.
The image forming apparatus is structured that, when a solenoid switch (actuator) is turned on upon receipt of a feeding start signal, a sector gear starts to rotate. While the sector gear makes one rotation, the feed roller pivots to the position where the feed roller contacts an upper surface of the sheet on the MP tray, receives a driving force to rotate, feeds sheets on the MP tray, then pivots to the position where the feed roller is separated from the sheet, and the driving force is not applied to the feed roller.